Idolcraft

Prelude

Firstly, I have to say that Idolcraft is easily one of my favorite games ever. I’ve gotten so much enjoyment from it because it’s so replayable and I really wish flowerthief would continue making games! This game unfortunately isn’t talked about much which is a shame because it’s such a gem! I should note that the pros heavily outweigh the cons, that’s how great this game is.

Introduction



Idolcraft is a simulation game created by flowerthief in the RPG Maker XP engine. Throughout the game you recruit idols, train them, and produce CDs and DVDs. But that’s not all--you have a variety of idols to choose from, some being easier to recruit than others. However, Idolcraft doesn’t necessarily just revolve around those routines. There is a lot of side things that can easily be missed.

Story
Score: 5



The story in Idolcraft is rather a simple one, which fits the theme and mood of this game well. Your uncle leaves town leaving you to be the manager of a dying idol studio. You are left with minimal cash and a few staff members. We learn throughout the game that the player’s uncle was quite the pervert, possibly being the reason why some of the previous idols left along with the dorm mystery.

Now, while the story is simple, the characters are really what stood out most to me in Idolcraft.. I’m not going to lie, some of the character’s have very cliche tropes, but none of them felt too similar or stereotypical. Two characters that I found really enjoyable in the story were Yumi and Bunny. Their personalities were very entertaining to me, especially Yumi with her starting with no experience, and Bunny… just being Bunny.

Another thing that I should point out in Idolcraft is the writing. I really love the writing because it is so light-hearted and super interesting which is very different than most games on RMN (not to say that most RMN games aren’t.). My only nitpick that I would have here would be that I wish there were more to the characters since sometimes their responses were the same. I would have also liked to see more story overall.

Gameplay
Score: 5



Like stated earlier, gameplay in Idolcraft includes recruiting idols, training them, and producing CDs and DVDs. It’s a rather basic concept, but there are also lots of variables. There are twelve obtainable idols, and with each idol you can give lessons in either singing or dancing. Other talents to level up include charm, confidence, and trust. Each of these elements (except for confidence and trust) increases an idol’s popularity. The main goal throughout this game is to get your idols to the top of the charts. Having idols attending events and shows boosts their charm and most importantly, their popularity.

However, you can’t do most of these things without (you guessed it!)… money! Throughout Idolcraft you get money from either items found in the town, the player’s uncle, part-time jobs, pawning items, the cheating bush, or from the CDs/DVDs you produce! This often leaves you with one option--resource management! Unless you’re like me and use the cheating bush >_>

There is also a secret vendor throughout the game that spawns randomly. He sells you items that are extremely helpful gameplay-wise and one of his items is required in order to get one of the idols.

Graphics
Score: 4



The map graphics in Idolcraft are the RTP graphics for RMXP. They are rather plain looking, but they fit the vibe of the game fairly well. There is also a lot of open space which fits the pacing of the day and running speed of the characters. Besides the mapping, the character graphics are absolutely adorable! All of the idols are unique looking and contrast with each other well. However, I really wish that there were more facesets (like different emotions) for each character.

Whenever you send an idol on vacation you get a picture of them on their getaway. Now the pictures are very nicely illustrated, however, some of pictures are in a sort of lewd fashion which isn’t so tasteful when some of the girls range from ages as young as thirteen.

Sound
Score: 3

The sound in Idolcraft is pretty mediocre, especially when these idols engage in music. It’s a bit of a missed opportunity. The JPOP songs that are in game though (I believe there are at least three) are very nice on the ears and it’d be more than ecstatic if we got to hear more of that music.

Despite those thoughts, the music in the town fits nicely. It gets a bit repetitive after awhile, but still works with the vibe of the game. One of the themes that I did really like was the mystery vendor’s theme. For some reason it was just a relief to hear whenever you found him.

Conclusion
Final Score: 4.5



Play Idolcraft! This game is so underrated and it really deserves so much more attention than it gets!

Photo Credits: flowerthief